1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to medical instruments for measuring bodily functions and physiological parameters, and more particularly, to a stethoscope for sensing sounds originating within the body which also functions as a flexible measuring tape for accurately measuring body surface measurements.
2. Discussion
The stethoscope is a widely used medical instrument which is employed by physicians, nurses, technicians, medical students and other health care providers for conducting sonic physiological diagnostics and testing. As is well known, the stethoscope includes an endpiece, which is placed against the body for sensing sounds originating within the body, and one or a pair of flexible sound conveyance tubes. The flexible sound conveyance tubes extend from the endpiece to a pair of ear plugs which the physician, nurse, technician, medical student or other health care provider wears for the purpose of listening to sounds developed by internal organs of the body which are detectable at the outer surface of the body by use of the endpiece. Stethoscopes used for the purpose described are of relatively standard construction, and have not undergone significant change for a long period of time.
In the past, a standard ruler used by a physician, nurse, technician, medical student or other health care provider was very often not available when needed. Additionally, this standard ruler was not long enough (normally 10 cm in length) for many important medical body surface measurements and was too stiff to follow a body's numerous contours. The use of a standard ruler, therefore, leads to body surface measurements which are now often grossly estimated and in many instances inaccurate.
The present invention offers a stethoscope-ruler instrument in which the sonic monitoring function and the body surface measuring function are integrated into a single instrument which is very, simple to operate and easy to use by even relatively unskilled personnel. The present invention is further characterized in having a long and trouble-free operating life.
In view of the above, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a flexible ruler to measure body surface measurements which is integrated into a stethoscope thus making it readily available since a physician, nurse, technician, medical student or other health care provider is seldom without his/her stethoscope. Due to its ready availability, the present invention promotes more precise body surface measurements during patient examination where such measurements are now often grossly and inaccurately estimated.
It is another important object of the present invention to provide a simple structure by which a conventional stethoscope can be quickly and easily modified to secure a ruler thereto in a readily accessible, easily observable position, so that the physician, nurse, technician, medical student or other health care provider can use this ruler to measure body surface measurements. The present invention integrates an always available tape measure with the elongated flexible sound conveyance tube.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination stethoscope-ruler having the capacity of 40-45 cm in length which is long enough for a majority of the body surface measurements required.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stethoscope with a ruler Which is flexible to follow the numerous contours of the body surface resulting in more precise and accurate measurements during patient examination.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combination stethoscope and ruler device which provides the physician, nurse, technician, medical student or other health care provider with a ready reference to the normal limits for, among other things, heart size, liver span, venous pressure, lung expansion, calf circumference and other vital dimensions.